Brown University graduate students to vote on unionization

Thursday

Approximately 1,250 grad students who are teaching assistants, proctors or research assistants will be eligible to vote.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Graduate students at Brown University will vote next week on whether to join a union.

Approximately 1,250 grad students who are teaching assistants, proctors or research assistants will be eligible to vote. The election will take place between Nov. 14 and Nov. 19 at four locations on campus. The American Arbitration Association will oversee the election, held by secret ballot, Brown spokesman Brian Clark said in a statement Thursday.

The election will be decided by a majority of students who actually vote — not a majority of those eligible to vote. If a simple majority chose to unionize, then all individuals in positions covered by the bargaining unit would be represented by the union.

A number of selective private universities have been going through the same process of unionization.

"It started two years ago, when the National Labor Relations Board reached a decision that offered students in these positions the right to consider whether or not to unionize," Clark said. "Before, the law did not allow them to unionize at private universities."

A union would allow graduate students to negotiate wages, hours and other terms of employment. Clark said the university has "a long record of increasing support for graduate students."

"Brown's position is that our primary relationship with graduate students is as students, not as employees," he said. "That said, from the day the ruling changed, we've been clear in saying that eligible students can make this decision for themselves. We respect the law."

Brown Provost Richard M. Locke said that before any vote is cast, "we encourage all students to become fully informed of the issues and of the university's commitment to working with graduate students...to provide highly competitive stipends, health, dental and parental leave benefits and other critical support."

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